Coarse versus fine-grain quartz optical dating of the sediments related to the 1985 Ms7.1 Wuqia earthquake, northeastern margin of the Pamir salient, China

Huili Yang; Jie Chen; Naomi Porat; Tao Li; Wenqiao Li; Weipeng Xiao

doi:10.1515/geochr-2015-0075

Abstract

Optical dating of earthquake related sediments were investigated including one modern sample and three samples from a trench excavated across the 1985 Ms7.4 Wuqia Earthquake surface rupture. The results indicated that equivalent dose (D_e) values vary with grain size and the method used for D_e determination. The residual dose of the modern sample is 0.1 ka ( $\begin{matrix} {0.2}_{- 0.1}^{+ 0.2} \end{matrix}$ $\begin{array}{} 0.2_{-0.1}^{+0.2} \end{array} $ Gy) for the quartz single grain measurements. Only 1.5–3.6% of the grains have a detectable OSL signal. Single grain quartz ages are similar to the expected ages. Fine grain quartz results overestimate the D_e values and are much older than single grain quartz and coarse grain quartz small aliquot standardized growth curve (SA-SGC) ages. Single grain quartz OSL dating may be optimal for dating earthquake related deposits, but SA-SGC can save measurement time and has potential for dating some poorly bleaching samples.

References

Aitken MJ, 1998. An Introduction to Optical Dating: The Dating of Quaternary Sediments by the Use of Photon-stimulated Luminescence. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Armitage SJ, Duller GAT and Wintle AG, 2000. Quartz from southern Africa: sensitivity changes as a result of thermal pretreatment. Radiation Measurements 32(5–6): 571–577, 10.1016/S13504487(00)00053-6.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Arnold LJ and Roberts RG, 2009. Stochastic modelling of multi-grain equivalent dose (D_e) distributions: implications for OSL dating of sediment mixtures. Quaternary Geochronology 4: 204–230, 10.1016/j.quageo.2008.12.001.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Arnold LJ, Roberts RG, Galbraith RF and DeLong SB, 2009. A revised burial dose estimation procedure for optical dating of young and modern-age sediments. Quaternary Geochronology 4: 306–325, 10.1016/j.quageo.2009.02.017.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Arnold LJ, Demuro M and Navazo Ruiz M, 2012. Empirical insights into multi-grain averaging effects from ‘pseudo’ single-grain OSL measurements. Radiation Measurements 47: 652–658, 10.1016/j.radmeas.2012.02.005.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Banerjee D, Murry AS and Foster IDL, 2001. Scilly Isles, UK: optical dating of a possible tsunami deposit from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Quaternary Science Reviews 20: 715–718, 10.1016/S0277-3791(00)00042-1.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cunha PP, Buylaert JP, Murray AS, Andrade C, Freitas MC, Fatela F, Munhá JM, Martins AA and Sugisaki S, 2009. Optical dating of clastic deposits generated by an extreme marine coastal flood: the 1755 tsunami deposits in the Algarve (Portugal). Quaternary Geochronology 5(2–3): 329–335, 10.1016/j.quageo.2009.09.004.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Duller GAT, 2003. Distinguishing quartz and feldspar in single grain luminescence measurements. Radiation Measurements 37: 161–165, 10.1016/S1350-4487(02)00170-1.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Duller GAT, 2006. Single grain optical dating of glacigenic deposits. Quaternary Geochronology 1(4):296-304, 10.1016/j.quageo.2006.05.018.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Duller GAT, 2007. Assessing the error on equivalent dose estimates derived from single aliquot regenerative dose measurements. Ancient TL 25: 15–24.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Duller GAT, 2008. Single-grain optical dating of Quaternary sediments: why aliquot size matters in luminescence dating. Boreas 37: 589–612, 10.1111/j.1502-3885.2008.00051.x.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Fattahi M, Nazari H, Bateman MD, Meyer B, Sébrier M, Talebian M, Le Dortz K, Foroutan M and Ahmad Givi Fand Ghorashi M, 2010. Refining the OSL age of the last earthquake on the Dheshir fault, Central Iran. Quaternary Geochronology 5(2–3): 286–292, 10.1016/j.quageo.2009.04.005.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Feng XY, Yang Z and Luan CQ, 1986. The WuQia earthquake of Xinjiang. Earthquake Research In China 2(1): 56–60.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Fuchs M, Straub J and Zoller L, 2005. Residual luminescence signals of recent river flood deposits: A comparison between quartz and feldspar of fine- and coarse-grain sediments. Ancient TL 23: 25–30.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Faershtein G, Porat N, Avni Y and Matmon A, 2016. Aggradation–incision transition in arid environments at the end of the Pleistocene: An example from the Negev Highlands, southern Israel. Geomorphology 253: 289–304, 10.1016/j.ageomorph.2015.10.017.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lai ZP, Bruckner H, Zoller L and Fulling A, 2007. ExisteLaince of a common growth curve for silt-sized quartz OSL of loess from different continents. Radiation Measurements 42: 1432–1440, 10.1016/j.radmeas.2007.08.006.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kortekaas M, Murray AS, Sandgren P and Björck S, 2007. OSL chronology for a sediment core from the southern Baltic Sea: a continuous sedimentation record since deglaciation. Quaternary Geochronology 2(1–4): 95–101, 10.1016/j.quageo.2006.05.036.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Li B, Roberts RG, Jacobs Z and Li SH, 2015. Potential of establishing a ‘global standardized growth curve’ (gSGC) for optical dating of quartz from sediments. Quaternary Geochronology 27: 94–104, 10.1016/j.quageo.2015.02.011.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Li T, Chen J, Thompson JA, Burbank DW and Xiao W, 2012. Equivalency of geologic and geodetic rates in contractional orogens: New insights from the Pamir Frontal Thrust. Geophysical Research Letters 39: L15305, 10.1029/2012GL051782.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Liu JF, Chen J, Yin JH, Lu YC, Murray AS, Chen LC, Thompson J, Yang HL, 2010. OSL and AMS ¹⁴C dating of the Penultimate earthquake at the Leigu trench along the Beichuan Fault, Longmen Shan, in the Northeast margin of the Tibetan plateau. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 100: 2681–2688, 10.1785/0120090297.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lu YC, Wang XL and Wintle AG, 2007. A new OSL chronology for dust accumulation in the last 130,000 yr for the Chinese Loess Plateau. Quaternary Research 67(1): 152–160, 10.1016/j.yqres.2006.08.003.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Medialdea A, Thomsen KJ, Murray AS and Benito G, 2014. Reliability of equivalent-dose determination and age-models in the OSL dating of historical and modern palaeoflood sediments. Quaternary Geochronology 22: 11–24, 10.1016/j.quageo.2014.01.004.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Murray AS and Wintle AG, 2000. Luminescence dating of quartz using an improved single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol. Radiation Measurements 32: 57–73, 10.1016/S1350-4487(99)00253-X.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Murray AS and Wintle AG, 2003. The single aliquot regenerative dose protocol: potential for improvements in reliability. Radiation Measurements 37: 377–381, 10.1016/S1350-4487(03)00053-2.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Olley JM, Caitcheon G and Murray A, 1998. The distribution of apparent dose as determined by optically stimulated luminescence in small aliquots of fluvial quartz: implications for dating young sediments. Quaternary Geochronology 17:1033–1040, 10.1016/S0277-3791(97)00090-5.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Porat N, Duller GAT, Amit R, Zilberman E and Enzel Y, 2009. Recent faulting in the southern Arava, Dead Sea Transform: Evidence from single grain luminescence dating. Quaternary International 199: 34–44, 10.1016/j.quaint.2007.08.039.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Rees-Jones J, 1995. Optical dating of young sediments using fine-grain quartz. Ancient TL 13(2): 9–14.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Roberts HM and Duller GAT, 2004. Standardised growth curves for optical dating of sediment using multiple-grain aliquots. Radiation Measurements 38: 241–252, 10.1016/j.radmeas.2003.10.001.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Thompson JA, 2013. Neogene tectonic evolution of the NE Pamir margin, NW China. UC Santa Barbara. PhD thesis.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Wang XL, Chai ZZ, Du P, Lei QY, Yin GM and Lu YC, 2012. Luminescence age constraints on palaeo-earthquake events along the LingWu fault in the YinChuan basin, China. Geochronometria 39(1): 57–61, 10.2478/s13386-011-0051-4.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Wallinga J, 2002. Optically stimulated luminescence dating in fluvial deposits: A review. Boreas 31: 303–322, 10.1111/j.15023885.2002.tb01076.x.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Yang HL, Chen J, Jessica AT and Liu JF, 2012. Optical dating of the 12 May 2008, Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake-related sediments: Tests of zeroing assumptions. Quaternary Geochronology 10: 273–279, 10.1016/j.quageo.2012.02.022.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article

Coarse versus fine-grain quartz optical dating of the sediments related to the 1985 Ms7.1 Wuqia earthquake, northeastern margin of the Pamir salient, China

Abstract

Paradigm

My account